


The Fall Festival

by Introvertia



Series: 13 Days of Halloween [3]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: 13 Days of Halloween, Billy Hargrove Lives, Carnival, Groping, M/M, Making Out, Underage Drinking, one word prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:02:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27132899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Introvertia/pseuds/Introvertia
Summary: Steve and Billy go to the local carnival for one game, one ride and one very hot apple cider.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: 13 Days of Halloween [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1995811
Comments: 8
Kudos: 77





	The Fall Festival

**Author's Note:**

> This short piece was inspired by the wondrous Gothyringwald's 13 Days of Halloween Prompt List.
> 
> Prompt 3: Trick or Treat
> 
> This is the 3rd of 13 fics I will be posting daily between now and Halloween. They can be read independently or in order like a serial.

October 8th, 1986

**Part 1**

**The Trick to Shooting the Star**

Billy watched as people breezed past him, a few kids gave him weary glances but no one was looking at him with recognition. Billy strongly believed that going to the Fall Festival as a bank robber was a stroke of genius, even though he was a little warm wearing a balaclava. The carnival setting was familiar, it reminded him of the ones that would set up during summer in San Diego, only missing one of their best features, tacos stands. There were vendors up and down the street, a stage was set up where a band was playing covers of popular songs. The air was thick with the scent of popcorn, fryer grease, and burnt sugar. Billy felt Steve nudge him.

“Is this okay?” Steve asked.

Steve looked handsome in his grandfather’s army uniform. It fit him like it was tailored made for him. Billy’s eyes lingered over Steve’s shoulders, he like how the jacket accentuated the broadness of Steve’s back.

“Yeah, no big deal.” Billy shrugged, the thought of going into a crowded and noisy space would have made Billy’s head spin just a week ago, but he was incognito and Steve was by his side and that made all the difference. Billy had only agreed to come because Steve had practically begged him to. It also helped that they’d had about a bottle of wine each before arriving at the festival and he knew they wouldn’t be staying long.

“Alright, so, one game, one ride, one hot apple cider.” Steve clapped his hands together and rubbed them in anticipation.

“That’s the deal.” Billy said smirking at Steve’s child like exuberance.

“There’s a Hay-Ride, it takes you to the Corn-Maze. That’s a ride and a game!” Steve enthused.

“No. No Hay-Rde and no Corn-Maze.” Billy shook his head. The idea of being stuck on a cart with a bunch of horny tweens or worse mother’s with toddlers was awful to Billy. That and getting lost in a maze, even if it was just made cornstalks, sounded like it would give him the heebie-jeebies big time.

“Uh, okay… let’s see, well let’s head over to the games.” Steve’s hand brushed Billy’s briefly, steering him towards where the game booths were lined up, Steve wanted to hold Billy’s hand but that was good way to find out who was bigot really fast. It wasn’t the kind of attention Steve wanted tonight.

“Ring-Toss?” Steve suggested.

  
“Nah.” Billy shook his head.

The row where all the game booths were set up was loud with bells and calliope music, that clashed with people yelling and screaming, the intermittent popping of balloons and toy horns. Children ran around them bouncing off one another like spinning tops. Billy took a long slow breath in threw his nose. It’s just people, he reminded himself.

“What about Darts?” Steve pointed at the booth where there were balloons on a board with numbers going higher and higher by difficulty.

Billy frowned a little, and shrugged “If you want.”

“Well, let’s see what else there is.” Steve said and walked further down the game row, “C’mon, we’re going to find something fun.”

“Gold Fish ping-pong, that’s so depressing.” Steve mumbled, “Hoops, too easy.”

Billy felt Steve’s arm hook in his and he pulled him along. Billy looked around feeling self-conscious but no one was paying attention to them. “Oh, yes. Do you want to try this?” Steve had stopped in front of shooting game.

“Shoot the star and win big!” A stringy looking guy in a stripped baggy vest smiled brightly at Steve, “C’mon GI Joe, give it a shot.”

“Yeah.” Steve shifted his garrison cap back on his head and pulled out the game booth ticket he’d bought at the gate.

“Have you ever won one of these?” Billy asked.

“No.” Steve shrugged, “You get a hundred bbs, and the star’s tiny, maybe tonight’s my lucky night.” He winked at Billy.

“Don’t shoot the star.” Billy said.

“What? But that’s the point.” Steve took the rifle from the carney and looked at Billy curiously.

“The point is to knock out the star, and don’t aim straight check the angle of the rifle first.”

Steve smirked, “How come you know all this stuff?”

“Maybe when I was fifteen I worked a carnival for a summer. C’mon Harrington, trust me and you’ll get the big prize.” Billy said smoothy.

Steve considered Billy, his bright blue eyes were shining, reflecting all the lights that were strung above them in a web of golden filaments. His smile looked dangerous because the rest of his face was obscured by his bank robber’s disguise.

“Trust you? You’re not trying to trick me are you?”

“Harrington, do you want to win big or just be a loser?” Billy leaned on the side of the stand, his lips pursed, arms folded.

“Okay, alright, show me how to win, hot shot.” Steve set the toy sized bb-rifle against his shoulder and aimed.

Billy sidled up behind Steve and rested one hand on his hip and squeezed slowly, “Square your hips, and plant those feet.”

Steve nodded and did as he was told. Billy’s hand remained where it was, he set his chin on Steve’s shoulder, “Don’t use the sight, because it’s not going to be welded on straight, follow the line of the barrel, make sure it’s actually straight.” Billy’s breath puffed gently on Steve’s neck.

“Uh huh” Steve said adjusting his aim.

“Now fire one shot, just squeeze real slow, to see where it hits, but don’t aim for the star, just above the very tip.” Billy’s hand prowled around Steve’s hip and rested on his ass and gave a gentle squeeze.

Steve exhaled slowly, his mind going blank as all the blood in his veins hurtled south. He squeezed the trigger and sent a single BB flying through the very top tip of the star.

“Nice one Harrington.” Billy purred in his ear, “Now do it again just to the left.” Billy had wanted to squeeze Steve’s ass since their first basketball match, he couldn’t believe it had taken this long for him to finally do it. It was just as soft and warm as he’d imagined. He heard the BB gun pop off another round and looked at the paper star target, Steve was doing pretty good.

“Looks like you’re getting the hang of it, pretty boy. Take another, shot, nice and…slow” Billy squeezed Steve’s ass right at the cleft of his cheeks and felt his own cock give a little twitch of interest.

“So I just keep squeezing off shots?” Steve said, his voice husky, "Real slow?”

“That’s it. A nice tight circle, around the star.” Billy had moved closer to Steve, his body blocking the view of where his hand was. He squeezed again and ran his index finger along the seam of Steve’s trousers.

Steve fired three shots in succession, perforating the paper in a tight arc.

“Don’t get too excited.” Billy teased. His cock was getting stiff just standing there with his hand on Steve’s ass. He suddenly felt like there was a reason he didn’t stay dead, it wasn’t to be a shut that only left the apartment for work, or to only speak when spoken to, it was this, moments like this, when his pulse was up, when life felt a little dangerous, when he had his hands on a beautiful boy, moment when he could be with Steve Harrington. Steve fired off three shots and then another three, his circle remaining tight. “Let’s go King Steve, you’ve got the method, let’s make it happen.” Billy glanced at the carney who was handing a rifle off to a kid, Billy licked Steve’s neck making him twitch and shiver.

“I am trying to concentrate here.” Steve said, his cheeks flushed and his eyes smiling but kept locked on the target.

“Whoa where’d you get that uniform?!” Dustin’s voice was unmistakable.

Steve looked over, just as Billy stepped away.

“Hey man, when’d you get here?” Steve looked at Dustin and smiled and then turned to look at Billy but Billy had vanished.

“Oh man, you’re not really hitting that star are you?” Dustin leaned over the booth looking at Steve’s target.

“I’m getting it.” Steve said instantly irked.

“No, you’re not, you’re like going around the left side or something. Maybe you need glasses? Did you rent that costume? It looks so real.” Dustin chattered animatedly.

“No, it’s my grandpa’s world war two uniform, who are you supposed to be?” Steve asked distractedly scanning for Billy.

“Oh, guess, okay so um,” Dustin put a candy cigarette in his mouth and put on some lens-less aviator glasses, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat!”

“You’re a sea captain?”

“No, no, I’m Police Chief Martin Brody, you know? Jaws?” Dustin threw his hands up. “Yeah, Max is Jaws, and Lucas is the boat. We’re gonna enter the contest. Mike didn’t want to dress up, I guess he’s too cool now.”

“Hey Hawk-eye, are you gonna finish your shot or are you giving up?” The carney was leaning on a post looking at Steve with a sneer.

“Hang on Dustin,” Steve squared his hips, planted his feet, stared down the barrel and adjusted his aim. He thought about giving up, and going to find Billy, but changed his mind, he didn’t want to show up empty handed. He exhaled slowly and squeezed off nearly all of his shots, but he didn’t even have to finish, because the star stamped piece of paper flaked off. Leaving nothing but a hole where it had been.

“Hey, gimme my prize!” Steve set down the rifle. Dustin looked at the hole where the star had been and his mouth fell open.

“What?!” Dustin exclaimed, “What just happened?!” He jumped and proclaimed loudly, “The coolest guy I know!”

“We got a winner, shoot for the stars and win big!” The carney rang a brass bell and tweeted a whistle loudly.

“Alright dough-boy, tiger, teddy-bear or unicorn, you strike me as a tiger kind of guy.”

“Tiger.” Steve nodded and smiled as he was handed a large stuffed tiger with a big black and orange bow around its neck.

“Aw man, I wish the gang had been here to see it, I’m on my way to meet them by the Tilt-o-Whirl, they should be off by now.” Dustin rolled his eyes, “Come with me, Lucas is gonna be so jealous, he tried twice to get Max teddy-bear, she won like three goldfish and a bag of candy.”

“Oh, uh, thanks but not thanks. I gotta get going. Tell them I said hi okay?” Steve turned around looking for Billy.

“Hey who was that guy in the ski mask?” Dustin asked.

“He was a bank robber.” Steve, pointed “Is that Mike?”

When Dustin turned to look Steve stepped around the game booth and walked into the next row, feeling only slightly guilty for ditching him.

**Part 2**

**The Ferris Wheel**

Steve walked down the row of food vendors wondering if Billy had just decided he’d had enough of the festival and gone home. He was about to give up when Billy jostled into him.

“So you shot the star.” Billy said.

“Hey, there you are. I thought you left.” Steve looked at Billy, he couldn’t believe how happy he was to see him, they’d only been apart for few minutes, but Steve’s heart had been steadily sinking lower and lower the longer he’d looked for him and not found him.

“Didn’t feel like talking to your little buddy.” Billy said.

“He’s not gonna bug you.” Steve said.

“Just the sound of that kid’s voice bugs me.” Billy shook his head.

“Well, I didn’t come here to hang out with him.” Steve said bumping into Billy lightly as they walked.

“The rides are over there,” Billy pointed in the direction of the lit up attractions, a ferris wheel loomed tall. Steve smiled watching the Swing Chairs spinning round and round, music was playing loud enough from the stage to be heard over the cheerful shrieks coming from the more exciting rides.

“Time for a ride!” Steve said.

Billy shrugged. He walked beside Steve wondering if he was mad at him for disappearing when Dustin had shown up. Steve had one arm around his stuffed tiger, he was looking at each of the rides they walked by, but not stopping. The garrison cap on his head was tilted at a rakish angle, Billy hoped Steve never enlisted, even though he looked really good in a uniform. They walked around the carousel and then Billy saw Tommy and Carol. Carol was dressed as a Playboy Bunny, he didn’t really see what Tommy was wearing because he looked away so quickly.

He pushed Steve into the nearest line. Not wanting to get too close to where Carol and Tommy were.

“Oh, okay.” Steve looked at Billy, surprised by his choice but thought it best not to say anything.

“Step forward, next please.” A sleepy looking carney waved Billy and Steve forward, “Alright watch your step, take a seat, lift your arms for the bar. Hold on to your kitty-cat there sergeant.”

Billy sat down and realized he’d just shoved them into the line for the Ferris wheel. He glanced over at Carol and Tommy but they had moved on, he could see Carol’s bunny ears as they walked towards the Swing Chairs.

The Ferris wheel lurched forward and paused as more people were loaded on.

“This is for you, by the way.” Steve patted the tiger’s head, it was seated between them.

Billy looked at the tiger and tugged lightly on its black and orange bow, “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Steve’s knee jogged, he wondered if Billy thought it was stupid. The wheel lurched forward again. “So you like Ferris Wheels?”

Billy was staring at the stuffed tiger, no one had ever done something like that, given him a carnival prize. Billy had won prizes often and had always given them to girls he was dating, the girls he’d dated just so people wouldn’t guess that he was a queer… but no one had ever given him one, let alone a big prize. “Yeah,” He replied distractedly.

“Thanks for doing this with me. We can go after this.” Steve looked out across Hawkins, it looked small and dull. Like it could be any drive-by-town in America, exchangeable and forgettable, but that didn’t matter, not when he was sitting next to Billy.

“What about your hot apple cider?” Billy asked.

“We can get it on the way out.” Steve said, he patted the tiger’s head absentmindedly. He felt Billy’s hand slide over his.

“I haven’t done shit like this, in over a year. You know, just, normal shit.” Billy mumbled, his voice so low it was hard for Steve to hear him.

Steve leaned closer, he watched as Billy reached up and pushed his balaclava up, revealing his face. Billy rubbed his cheeks, “I spent months in physical therapy, and then when I got released in March I was just like, dumped back at my dad’s place. Max hadn’t been allowed to come to the hospital, she didn’t even know I was alive until February, because Neil didn’t want to put her through the stress of it or some bullshit. I think he’s disappointed I’m not dead.”

“Fuck him, he’s an asshole.” Steve turned his palm up and squeezed Billy’s hand. The Ferris wheel had rotated them to the very top of the ride.

“He’s just a bitter piece of shit, I don’t care about him… he’s nothing to me.” Billy said. He turned looking at Steve who was watching him intently, like he was the only other soul on the planet, or maybe it was just that they were thirty feet in the air and no one was around to see them. Billy blinked, he felt so naked when Steve looked at him like that.

“You alright Harrington?” Billy asked.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m glad you made it, I’m just… it’s good you know. I like you being around.” Steve looked down at Billy’s hand in his.

Billy looked at Steve, he wanted to make a joke, but at the same time he just really wanted to kiss him. They’d been making out in the basement earlier that night, drinking Steve’s parent’s wine, it felt like days and not hours since he’d kissed Steve. Billy reached over and grabbed Steve by his army dress uniform’s neck-tie and pulled him into a kiss.

Steve grabbed onto the front of Billy’s hoodie held on tight, he parted his lips and felt Billy’s tongue delve into his mouth, it was an eager hot kiss, unabashed and thrilling. Steve ran his down Billy’s chest, and then up and over his shoulders, and up the back of Billy’s neck, his fingers slipping into Billy’s curls.

Billy moaned feeling Steve’s hands in his hair, his whole body was burning in the best possible way. Steve was really going for it, and Billy felt electrified. All too soon the Ferris wheel lurched as they rotated down. Billy pulled back knowing that now they were no longer at the apex of the ride and they’d be in view of other passengers on the ride.

Steve sat back and exhaled slowly, his cheeks flushed.

“God damn Harrington.” Billy smirked looking at Steve, “I can see why all the girls wanted to date you.”

Steve smiled, “Don’t act like you weren’t popular.”

“Oh I know I was.” Billy shrugged, “but, that was all for show. I don’t like girls.”

“Not at all?” Steve asked.

“Nope.” Billy said. He fixed his gaze on Steve, feeling liberated and exposed, and also very turned on.

“I like both. But it’s not like, like I don’t have to be with both, at the same time I mean. I’ve been with girls mostly, and one guy, but we were just messing around, it wasn’t serious. I think, well who knows, we were pretty young,” Steve paused. “I’m _not_ just messing around with you Billy. I like you. I like you a lot.”

“I like you too…” Billy frowned, lightly it sounded so silly to say it aloud, but he meant it.

He looked at Steve and then out at the view of the festival from above. He’d never told another boy he liked them, he’d done things with guys. Messed around, kissing, hand jobs, but he’d never told a single one of them he liked them. He could feel his cheeks burning. He felt Steve’s hand slide over his and squeeze, Billy closed his fingers around Steve’s hand and held on.

**Part 3**

**A Sweet Treat**

Billy and Steve got off the Ferris Wheel and Steve beelined it to the hot cider booth. He ordered one large hot cider in a ceramic commemorative mug.

“It has a scarecrow this year, cool.” Steve said looking genuinely pleased at the one on display.

“Do you collect those things?” Billy asked.

Steve turned looking over at Billy who had the tiger under one arm propped against his hip. As soon as they’d stepped off Ferris wheel Billy had pulled down his ski mask. Steve suppressed a laugh, and clamped his lips and nodded, “Yep.”

“You’re such a dweeb Harrington.” Billy smiled and popped a cigarette between his teeth and lit up.

“I’m not the one in a ski mask carrying around a tiger.” Steve said walking over with his steaming mug of hot apple cider.

“Hey, I’m a bank robber, it’s your fault I’m carrying the tiger.” Billy said around his cigarette, and reached for Steve’s mug.

Steve side stepped, “I didn’t say you could have any.”

“I swear to god Harrington, you’ve been talking up the cider for a week straight.”

“Does that mean you’re asking to try some?” Steve smiled and held it under his nose and inhaled dramatically. “It smells so good.” Steve took a tiny sip, “Mmmm.”

Billy narrowed his eyes at him.

“You can have some, but first, I want to walk over there.” Steve pointed across the street beyond where the festival was fenced in.

“What’s over there?”

“The park.” Steve answered simply, “C’mon, it’s on the way to your place anyways.”

Billy walked beside Steve, his right arm loose around the tiger, the knuckles of his hand brushing against Steve’s. The further they moved from fair grounds the quieter the world became. The day had been a little warm, but now that the sun had been down for a while it was cooling down rapidly. Billy kicked at the golden, red and orange leaves that had been gusted off the trees. A steady breeze made the pennant flags that were linked from light post to light post flutter and snap. “It was never like this in San Diego.”

“Do you miss it?” Steve asked as they walked across the park.

“Not right now, no.” Billy said and shoved Steve in the shoulder roughly.

“I knew the gazebo would be empty.” Steve said and went up the steps. Billy followed him onto the small band stand. It was painted in a dingy white and in need of a fresh coat, even in the low light of the street lamps Billy could see where people had carved their initials.

Steve sat on the railing and took a long drink of his warm cider.

“Is there where you bring all your slutty little girlfriends?” Billy asked.

Steve flipped him off, “Come here Billy.”

Billy walked up to Steve and stepped between his knees, “Right here?” and rested his hands on Steve’s thighs, letting his thumbs run along the inseams of Steve’s trousers.

Steve rested his mug on the railing and put one hand on the back of Billy's neck and pulled off his ski mask and then pulled him into a rough kiss. Billy felt Steve’s tongue lap across his lips, Billy tilted his head and parted his lips willingly. Steve’s tongue was hot and sweet, it tasted of cinnamon, apples, and other warm spices. Billy squeezed Steve’s thighs and ran his hands up his chest, and cupped Steve’s face kissing and tasting him. Billy moaned into the kiss when Steve squeezed the back of his neck.

Steve pulled back from the kiss and ran his thumb under Billy’s mouth, “So how do you like the cider?”

Billy nodded, his pupils were pooled beautifully in the low light. “It’s a real treat, pretty boy.” Billy licked his lips slowly wetting them.Steve kept his eyes on Billy and picked up the mug and took a hearty swallow of the sweet apple concoction. Billy pulled him into another kiss before Steve could set the mug down. By the time the mug was empty both of their lips were swollen and their clothes were a little disheveled.

“You have to be at the bakery at 5AM, don’t you?” Steve asked softly, his breath tickling Billy’s neck.

“Mmm-hmm.” Billy murmured,“Yeah. Walk me home, soldier?”

Steve smiled and kissed Billy gently, he pressed his temple to Billy’s and nodded. Steve slid off the railing and walked shoulder to shoulder with Billy off the gazebo steps.

“What are you going to name your tiger?” Steve asked

“Lombardo.” Billy said.

“What?” Steve asked laughing.

“Shut it, it’s the name of the drummer from Slayer, Dave Lombardo, and he’s a bad ass.” Billy hugged his Tiger.

“I like Lombardo.” Steve smiled.

Billy smirked and hit Steve in the stomach with Lombardo the tiger.

“Oof, what was that for? I said I like it, it’s a good name!” Steve laughed and shoved Billy in the shoulder.

Billy turned away and then back again and chased a giggling Steve Harrington down the street with the tiger bopping him with it repeatedly, feeling stupidly and blissfully happy for the first time in a year.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, comments and questions are most welcome!


End file.
